A recent publisher's post on CNET (or was it ZDNET?) touts the latest free Microsoft Security Essentials as being very good. I'm running the current Avast Free on my 64bit Windows7 desktop. Is Avast Free better than the current Microsoft product? If so, in what ways is it better? Thanks in advance for the info...

If a question is asked (like the one framed and posed here by 'cwr64'), it should be taken at face value. It is not really nice to presume what is not there.If you have something to contribute, do so.If you think he/she is trolling, don't take then bait.If I may misquote Forrest Gump, "Fanboy is as fanboy does."

« Last Edit: June 16, 2010, 07:13:17 AM by Vladimyr »

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“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 16:25

Ok,i'm not presuming.It is a real OP's complaint.So,you have always the options to seek help on the AV own forum...or to switch to another AV if you are totally disappointed.Not asking which is better.Should someone else decide for you what AV to use? What kind of value does this question have?I'm not contributing,sorry,just telling my opinion.Unlike others who are contributing.............

He didn't say that, he simply pointed out an unfortunate incident that everyone knows did happen. He didn't suggest giving up on Avast! because of it. He is simply asking for opinions on why people think one or the other program is good.

I would say what I've said before. Both products do a good job of protecting you from malware infection. MSE is simpler (on the surface anyway, underneath it's more complex than it looks) to setup and configure and is well suited for those with limited computer expertise. Avast! has more features and therefore more configuration options. Both have excellent detection rates of known threats and both are regularly updated. In most tests I've seen, MSE currently does a little better at blocking new malware due to how it will check suspicious files with the latest definitions on the Microsoft servers (definitions that you may not have received yet through the updating process) and will also check with the latest submissions to things like the Smart Screen filter, the malicious software tool and the other malware fighting resources Microsoft provides. I expect Avast! to improve at blocking new threats by improving the behavior shield. There are two computers here, one running Avast! and the other MSE. So far, both have detected a few threats or unsafe web sites and nothing has gotten past either one. I personally feel that the combination of IE8 and MSE works very well on the Vista machine and Avast! with IE8 and the Comodo Firewall works well on the XP system.

My opinion is that following the faulty database update release, which wasn't tested as per normal protocol, that the likelihood of it happening again with this company is vastly reduced.I've never tested MSE; never felt the need to.I have tried AVG and Avira in the past. Since running Avast it has stayed there, and Avast would be my choice over MSE, based purely on my experience with it, and the (usually very good) quality of the forum help.

My opinion is that following the faulty database update release, which wasn't tested as per normal protocol, that the likelihood of it happening again with this company is vastly reduced.I've never tested MSE; never felt the need to.I have tried AVG and Avira in the past. Since running Avast it has stayed there, and Avast would be my choice over MSE, based purely on my experience with it, and the (usually very good) quality of the forum help.

I'm sure you really mean avastly reduced.

« Last Edit: June 16, 2010, 04:03:57 PM by Vladimyr »

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“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 16:25

@JoBlack40I did pick out your words and underline them and in hindsight that was probably a little unfair of me becauseyour post wasn't really the target of my "rant" (though it did annoy me enough to tip me over the edge).

The kind of thing that really gets up my nose is when someone posts a problem and the attitude/answer of another forum member is along the lines of, "Well, it can't be a problem with avast! It must be something else or something you're doing wrong.", as if any questioning or criticism of avast! is really questioning the replier's choice to use avast! It's just not necessary.

« Last Edit: June 16, 2010, 04:58:24 PM by Vladimyr »

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“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 16:25